Florida, State Board of Health, Bureau 
of Vital Statistics. 
Maternal Mortality State Board of Health 
BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS 
J ack sony I Me, Florida 
MATERNAL MORTALITY IN FLORIDA 
August 1, 19 49 
The tables and graphs of this report on maternal mortality arc designed to acquaint 
all Interested persons with Florida's standing In regard to maternal deaths. Maternal 
deaths Include all deaths as a result of conditions arising from pregnancy, childbirth, 
and the puerperlum. 
In 19 48, there were 115 resident maternal deaths In Florida and the death rate was 
1.9 per thousand live births* This Is the lowest maternal death rate on record In this 
state and It represents a decrease of 70 i since 19 40 * The colored maternal death rate 
of 4.2 was almost 4 times as high as the white rate of LI per thousand live births* 
Florida's maternal death rate is still higher than the National average* Data 
Issued by the National Office of Vital Statistics for the year 1947 (the latest year 
for which final data for all states has been released! showed Florida as being In 44th 
place when compared with other states* Only four states (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, 
and South Carolina) had a higher maternal mortality rate, and all of the above are neigh- 
boring states. 
Table A gives a comparison of maternal mortality rates (per 1,000 live births), 
by color, for Florida and the United States from 1933 to 1948. The rate for the United 
States In 1940 Is a provisional figure, since final data has not yet been made a.V.aJ I ibl • 
by the National Office of Vital Statistics. 
Graph 1 shows the trend In maternal mortality rates In Florida and the United 
States from 1933 to 1948, while Graph 2 shows the trend In maternal mortality rates 
In Florida, by color, for the same period. These graphs are based upon the data con- 
tained In Table A, 
Table B gives the live births distributed according to the age of the mother, 
maternal deaths according to age of death, and maternal mortality rates by age groups. 
The largest number of births for both white and colored was In the 20-24 age group which 
also had the lowest maternal mortality rate. The highest maternal mortality rate for 
both white and colored was In the 35-39 age group. 
The resident maternal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) for Florida In 1944 - 
1948 was 2.6. Charlotte County hjd the lowest rate with no maternal deaths while 
Liberty County had the highest rate of 1G.7. Table C gives the number of maternal 
deaths for each year from 1944 to 1948, the number of live births for the combined 
period, and the maternal mortality for each county for 1944-1948 arranged In order of 
magnItud a. 
The maternal mortality rate In Table C Is given for the combined period of 1944- 
1948 because rates based upon a small number of events must be Interpreted with caution. 
Even with the combined period, the reader must keep an open mind In Interpreting data In 
thIs table. 
Table 0 gives the maternal deaths by cause, by year, by color, together with the 
corresponding maternal mortality rates. The combined maternal deaths and maternal mor- 
tality rates are also shown for the entire period. Puerperal Toxemias (List No. 148) 
was the leading cause of maternal deaths for 1944- 1948 while Infection during Childbirth 
and the Puerperlum (List No. 147) was the second highest cause. 
1 
Everett H. Williams, Jr, 
Dlrecto r TABLE A. RESIDENT MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES (Per 1,000 Live Birth*) 
BY COLOR, FLORIDA AND THE UNITED STATES, 1933 - 1948 
YEAR 
FLORIDA 
j 
UNITED STATES 
TOTAL 
WHITE 
COLORED 
TOT AL 
WHITE 
COLORED { 
1998 
1.9 
1.1 
9. 2 
1 
1.2* 
• 
• 
19 97 
2.2 
1-3 
5.0 ! 
1-3 
1.1 
3*3 
1996 
2.9 
1.9 
9.9 
1.6 
1.3 
3.6 
19 95 
2.9 
1.8 
6.0 
1 
2.1 
1.7 
9.3 
1999 
3-3 
2.3 
6.0 1 
2.3 
1.9 
9.1 
1993 
3.9 
2.7 
6.1 
2.5 
2.1 
9.1 
1992 
..0 
2.5 
8.0 i 
1 
2.6 
2.2 
5.9 
j 19 91 
6.1 
9.5 
10.0 
3.2 
2.7 
6.8 
I 1990 
6.9 
5.0 
9.8 j 
3.8 
3.2 
7.7 
1939 
6.9 
9.9 
8.5 ( 
9.0 
3.9 
7.6 
19 38 
7.6 
9.9 
12.6 < 
3.8 
8.5 
1937 
6.7 
9’2 
! 
r>.i ; 
H.9 
9.9 
8.6 
1936 
7.9 
6.2 
12.0 i 
9.7 
5.1 
9.7 
19 39 
8.6 
M 
im j 
5.8 
9.3 
9.5 
19 39 
8.3 
6.9 
n.6 : 
9.9 
9.9 
9.0 
19 33 
11.1 
8.9 
19.9 t 
6*2 
_ 
9.7 
... - 
9.7 
*Provlslonal data. 
Not available by color. 
TABLEB. RESIDENT BIRTHS, MATERNAL DEATHS, AND MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES 
(Per 1,000 Live Birth*) BY AGE GROUPS, BY COLOR, FLORIDA, 1948 
AGE OF I 
BIRTH 
S 
MATERNAL DEATHS 
maternal mortality 
MOTHER j 
TOT AL 
WHITE | 
COLORED 
TOTAL 
WHITE 
COLORED 
TOTAL 
WHITE 
COLORED 
10 -19 1 
208 
93 
165 
0 
0 
0 
" _ 
- 
15-19 
9,5U 
5,689 i 
3,86 7 
]fi 
6 
12 
1.9 
1.1 
3.1 
20-29 
19,7 29 
19, 67 3 
5,056 
21 
7 
19 
1.1 
0.5 
2.8 
25-29 
15,239 
11,763 
3,976 
28 
10 
IB 
1.8 
0.9 
5.2 
30-39 
8,880 
6,329 
2,051 
20 
9 
11 
2*3 
1.3 
5.9 
35-39 
9,693 
3,910 
1,283 
29 
12 
12 
5.1 
3*5 
9.3 
90-99 
1,127 
811 
316 
Li 
2 
3 
3.5 
2.5 
6*3 
95-99 
77 
39 
33 
0 
0 
0 
• 
50 and 
3 
15 3 
f 
1 
0 
0 
0 
- 
- 
- 
over 
Unknown 
82 
71 
0 
0 
Al 1 
Ages 
59,68 5 
— 
93,336 
16,399 
115 
69 
1.9 
1.1 
9.2 GRAPH 1 
RESIDENT MATERNAL MORTALITY (Per 1,000 Live Births), FLORIDA 
AND THE UNITED STATES, 1933-19*^8 
GRAPH 2 
RESIDENT MATERNAL MORTALITY (Per 1,000 Live Births), 
BY COLOR. FLORIDA, 1933-19^8 4 
TABLE C. RESIDENT MATERNAL DEATHS (For Etch Year), LIVE BIRTHS, AND MATERNAL 
MORTALITY RATES (Per 1,000 Live Blrthe), BY COUNTY, FLORIDA, 194H-19H8 
MATERNAL deaths 
LIVE BIRTHS 
MATERNAL 
COUNT 1ES 
MORTALITY 
1944 
1 1945 
19 46 
19 47 
19 48 
19 44 - 1948 
194 4 - 19 48 
FLORI OA 
160 
142 
156 
135 
r 
H* 
VJ» 
272,2?8 
2.6 
1. Charlotte 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
345 
- 
1, Brevard 
1 
0 
0 
0 
1 
2,383 
0,8 
3. Calhoun 
0 
0 
1 
c 
0 
1,170 
0,8 
4. Taylor 
0 
0 
0 
1 
0 
1,178 
0.3 
5. Franklin 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
353 
1.2 
6. Santa Rota 
0 
1 
0 
2 
0 
2,330 
1.3 
7. Orange 
3 
3 
2 
4 
3 
10,503 
1.4 
8. Wakulla 
0 
0 
0 
0 
1 
638 
1.6 
9. Martin 
0 
0 
0 
1 
0 
626 
1.6 
1C. Indian River 
1 
0 
1 
0 
0 
1,209 
1.7 
11. Manatee 
0 
2 
0 
2 
1 
3,004 
1.7 
12. Monroe 
2 
0 
0 
1 
1 
2.305 
1.7 
13» Hillsboro 
15 
4 
1 10 
9 
10 
26,659 
1.8 
14. St. Lucie 
2 
0 
0 
2 
0 
2,163 
1.8 
Ik. Sarasota 
3 
0 
1 
0 
0 
2,173 
1.8 
16. Dade 
19 
13 
19 
9 
12 
38, $ 18 
1.9 
17. Hardee 
0 
1 
0 
0 
1 
1,0 34 
1.9 
16. Seminole 
1 
1 
3 
1 
0 
2,992 
2.0 
19. Holmes 
0 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1,936 
2.1 
2C . Walton 
1 
1 
1 
0 
1 
1,875 
2.1 
21- Clay 
1 
0 
0 
1 
1 
1,387 
2.2 
22. Highlands 
0 
2 
1 
1 
0 
1,809 
2. 2 
23. Polk 
6 
6 
3 
5 
1 
12,527 
2.2 
24. Sumter 
1 
0 
1 
1 
0 
1, 264 
2.4 
25* Pinellas 
4 
6 
1 7 
5 
1 
10,523 
2* 4 
26. St. Johns 
1 
2 
2 
1 
0 
2,498 
2.4 
27. Palm Beach 
6 
4 
6 
3 
6 
10,3 47 
2.4 
28. Duval 
13 
19 
20 
16 
15 
33,718 
2.5 
29. Washington 
1 
0 
1 
2 
0 
i,sn 
2.5 
30. Lafayette 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
M2 
2.5 
31. Escambia 
9 
12 
8 
5 
3 
14,407 
2.6 
32. Bay i 
2 
• 
4 
2 
2 
5,219 
2 • 7 
33* Okeechobee 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
372 
2.7 
34. Alachua 
■a 
3 
3 
2 
5 
5,710 
2.8 
3$. Flagler 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
349 
2.9 
36. Volusia 
4 
5 
2 
4 
3 
6,2 39 
2.9 
37. Okaloosa 
1 
l 
2 
2 
3 
3,078 
2.9 
38. Nassau 
2 
0 
2 
1 
0 
1,653 
3.0 
39. Osceola 
0 
0 
1 
i 
1 
987 
3.0 
40, Broward j 
3 
l 
5 
7 
6 
6,99 7 
3.1 
41. Lea 
2 
1 
3 
0 
2 
2,470 
3.2 
42. Citrus 
0 
l 
l 
0 
0 
600 
3.3 
43. Lake 
4 
3 
3 
2 
0 
3,416 
3.5 
44. Bradford 
1 
1 
0 
2 
2 
1,634 
3.7 
49. Baker 
1 
0 
2 
0 
0 
815 
3.7 
46. Leon 
3 
5 
4 
5 
0 
4,9 36 
3.8 
47. Madison 
3 
1 
2 
2 
0 
2,037 
3.9 
48. Jackson 
5 
5 
3 
4 
2 
4,78 7 
4,0 
49. Hernando 
1 
0 
1 
1 
0 
751 
4.0 
JO. Pasco 
0 
1 
3 
2 
1 
1,746 
4.0 
51. Columbia 
5 
3 
0 
0 
2 
2,401 
1 
5 2. OeSoto 
2 
l 
0 
1 
0 
9 78 
4,1 
5 3. Putnam j 
2 
2 1 
2 
1 
3 
2,216 
4.5 
5 4. Glades 
0 
0 
0 
0 
1 
221 
4.5 
4.6 
55* Suwannee 
4 
3 
0 
2 
1 
2,19 4 
96, Gulf 
0 
0 
0 
2 
3 
1,065 
4.7 
57, Dixie 
1 
0 
0 
2 
0 
637 
4.7 
58. Hamilton | 
0 
4 
1 
3, 
0 
1,216 
4.9 
59. Marlon 1 
3 
3 
6 
5 
* 1 
3,9 34 
5.3 
60. Hendry i 
1 
0 i 
1 
2 
0 
741 
5.4 
5.7 
5.9 
61. Levy • 
62. Union 
3 
2 
1 
2 : 
0 
0 
3 
0 
0 
0 i 
1,227 
677 
63. Gadsden 
2 
4 
6 
3 
11 i 
3,756 
0.9 
7.3 
7.8 
6.8 
10.7 
6 4. Gilchrist 
1 
1 
1 
0 
0 i 
410 
65. Jefferson 
2 
2 ( 
2 
3 
2 
1, 40 4 
66. Co I 11 er 
0 
1 i 
2 J 
0 1 
1 
456 
67. Liberty 
1 
1 I 
1 
_JLJ 
1 i 
37 4 5 
TABLE 0. RESIDENT MATERNAL DEATHS AND DEATH RATES CPer 1,0 00 Live Births) BY CAUSE, BY COLOR, FLORIDA, 1&44-19H8 
LIST NO 
• i 
CAUSE 
MATERNAL DEATHS 
1 
5 Year 
R 
ATE 
5 Year 
1 
J 
— 
194 4 
j 
1945 
1946 
1947 
1948 
Total 
194 4 
1995 j 
19 46 
1947 
19 43 
Rate 
140 - 
150 
T 
160 
! 
142 
156 
135 
115 
708 
3.3 
2.9 j 
2.9 
i 2.2 j 
1.9 
2.6 
ALL MATERNAL DEATHS 
W 
86 
66 
76 
59 
46 
333 
2.3 
1.8 j 
1.9 
j 
7-3 ; 
1.1 
1.6 
c ! 
74 
76 
30 
76 
69 
375 
6.0 
6.0 
_5»9_ 
5.J> j 
4. 2 
5-4 
— 
— 
T J 
15 
10 
14 
10 
6 
55 
0.30 
0.20 
0.26 
f 
0.17 i 
0.10 
0.20 
140 
Abortion with mention of Infection 
w 1 
4 
5 
7 
6 
4 
26 
0.11 
0.14 I 
0.17 
1 
0.13 ! 
0.09 
0.13 
„ 1 
q 
11 
i 
5 
7 
4 
2 
29 
0.89 
0.40 
0.52 
1 
0.26 | 
0.12 
0.41 
t! 
5 
1 
7 
8 
3 
" ■* H 
0.10 
0.14 
0.13 
i 
0.13 
0.0 5 
0. II 
141 
Abortion without mention of Infection 
w 
1 
5 
4 
6 
17 
C.03 
0.14 
0.10 
! 
0.13 j 
0.02 
0 .08 
c 
4 
?. 
3 
2 
2 
13 
O.33 
0.16 
0.22 
0.13 
0.12 
0.19 
T 
4 
9 
11 
4 
8 
36 
0.08 
0.18 
0.20 
1 0.07 ! 
0.13 
O.13 
142 
Ectopic gestation 
* 
C 
4 
0 
j 
L 
3 
6 
6 
5 
2 
1 1 
J. 
16 
20 
0.11 
0 i 08 
0.48 
0.15 
0.37 
0.04 i 
0.13 
0.0 2 
0.43 
0.08 
0.29 
T 
3 
1 
2 
0 
1 
9 
0.06 
O.OTI 
0 .04 
' . ~f 
0.02 
0.03 
143 
Hemorrhage of pregnancy 
w 
1 
2 
0 
0 
5 
0.0 5 
O.O3 
0 .05 
- 
0.02 
\ 
(death before delivery) 
C 
1 
2 
0 
° 
. 1 
4 
0.03 
0.16 
- 
- 
0,06 
0.06 
T 
19 
15 
11 
10 
12 
67 
0.39 
0.31 
0.20 
0.17 
0.20 
0.25 
144 
Toxemias of pregnancy 
w 
9 
7 
2 
2 
3 
23 
0.24 
0.19 
O.O5 
0.04 1 
0.07 
0.11 
(death before delivery) 
C 
10 
S 
9 
3 
_9 1 
44 
0.31 
_ 
O.63 
0.66 
0.52 
O.55 
O.63 
T 
”’5 
T 
2 
3 
5 
4 
19 
0.30 
0.04 
0.06 
0.08 
0.0 7 
0.07 
| 1*5 
i 
Other diseases and accidents of 
w 
2 
0 
l 
2 
0 
5 
0.05 
0.02 
0 .04 
- 
0.0? 
pregnancy (death before delivery) 
c 
3 
2 
2 
3 
9 
14 
0.24 
— 
0 . 
• 
0 
J 
0.15 
0.20 
0.24 
0.20 
i— 
I- 
T 
H 
19 
30 
19 
18 
109 
0,47 
0.39 
O.55 
0.32. 
0.30 
0.40 
146 
Hemorrhage of childbirth and the 
p ue rpe rlurn 
M 
C 
17 
6 
L 
8 
s 
J 
6 
12 
58 
51 
' O O 
1 • • 
1 ££ 
i 
0.22 
0.87 
— 
0.42 
0.96 
0.22 
0.59 
0.14 
0.73 
0.29 
0.73 
r- 
r 
T 
33 
• 
28 
24 
20 
18 
123 
0.67 
O.57 
0.44 
O.33 
0.30 
0.45 
1 147 
1 
Infection during childbirth and the 
w 
15 
7 
9 
9 
9 
49 
0.41 
0.19 
0.22 
0.20 
0.21 
0.24 
puerperlurn 
i 
c 
’ 
18 
21 
15 
11 
9 
74 
1.46 
1.66 
1.11 
0.72 
C.55 
J..06 
r 
T 
r- 
30 
t - 
26 
29 
20 
”3 
128 
0.61 
O.53 
0.53 
O.33 
0.39 
0.47 
148 
i 
Puerperal toxemias (excluding death 
w 
I 
18 
15 
12 
7 
8 
60 
0.49 
0.41 
0.29 
0.16 
0. IB 
0.30 
before del I very) 
c 
12 
11 j 17 
13 
15 
68 
0.98 
0.87 
1.25 
0.85 
0.92 
0.97 
i 
— 
T 
r 
1 
14 
i 
14 j 17 
26 
14 
85 
0.28 
0.29 
0.31 
O.43 
O.23 
0.31 
149 
Other accidents and specified 
w 
10 
j 
10 
12 
10 
9 
51 
0.27 
0.28 
0.29 
0.22 
0.21 
0.25 
i 
conditions of childbirth 
! 
c 
4 
1 
4 
6 
16 
5 
34 
| O.33 
0.32 
j 0-37 
I.O5 
0-31 
0.49 
r 
i 
! 
| 
T 
9 
! 
9 
I 6 
1 13 
8 
r 
47 
0.18 
0.18 
0.15 
0.22 
0.13 
0.17 
150 
1 
Other and unspecified conditions of 
w 
4 
5 
4 
1 5 
5 
1 
23 
| 0.11 
0.14 
i 0.10 
0.11 
j 0.12 
0.11 
I 
j 
childbirth and the puerperium 
( 
| 
c 
5 
i 
1 
4 
i * 
i 
6 
1 3 
i 
• 
24 
j 0.41 
1 
I 0.32 
t °-3<? 
0.52 
! 0.18 
1 
‘ 0.34